A Business King.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 September 1910, Page 4

A Business King.

(London • Correspondent Chicago Tribune.)

Altlhough George. V. has 'hairdly had time to settle himself comfortably on the throne, he already has earned the title of "England's business King." No ruler, in recent history, at any rate, has displayed in so short a time the capacity for hard work and organisation that has been shown by King George in tho few weeks since his father's death. No living monarch possesses them in anything like the same degree unless perhaps it bo King George's cousin, tho Gorman Kaiser.

Everyone knew that there wore few men in the kingdom hotter posted on matters relating to homo and colonial affairs than the new King, but few expected that he would grasp the complicated problems of etiquette, connected with the onteirtniumcnt and reception for foreign royalties in the way that ho has.

One of his most notable characteristics during his .career as Prince (-1 Wales wa.s the hatred of ceremony and his distaste for having anything to clio with foreigners. Naturally ■his Ministers and the members ol his entouliage looked forward with dismay to the elaborate state ■. demonies incident to the funeral ot King Edward and feared that they would have the job of their lives in keeping tho new Kj'ing up to the mark and avoiding any canso of offence to the visiting monarohs. KI.NG RISES TO THE OCCASION. But George V. rose to the occasion, and although the officials probably never worked so hard in their lives as they did during the funeral fortnight, they found themselves relieved of practically all the responsibility. Their work was simply to carry out the- King's orders, for George took hold of everything himself, passed all the plans, and directed most of tho ceremonies. At six o'clock every morning he was at his desk in Mainlborongh House with a telephone at his elbow, and he expected everyone who was employed about the funeral to lie on hand when he wanted him. Nothing was too big or too little for him to attend to personally. One moment he was telephoning to the War Office, directing *he plans for the movement of troops to lino the streets of London on the day of tho funeral, and the next \e was with the End Marshall the uniforms prescribed l->r those who took part in the processions. Since the funeral he has boon busy every hour of the day receiving Ministers, Ambassadors and great officers of State, and making himself familiar with qxicstion of both home and foreign politics. Colonials particularly have boon ■surprised at the extent of tho knowledge- which he displayed on subjects on which they expected to find him wholly uninformed. WRITES HIS OWN PROCLAMATIONS.

It may seem a little thing that( he insisted on writing with his own .hand all the proclamations to his people which have been issued in his name since the death of his fa- j ther, but it is indicative of the thoroughness of the man, and the beauty of their diction shows that the hours which he has spent evening afte revening at ihome and Marlborough House, with book and pipe have not been wasted.

A good manj- people who cxpoeted from the minor part which lie played during liis father's life and from liis general kindness of heart that he would be dominated by his mother, Queen Alexandra, have ■been considerably surprised by what has really happened. Tljere can bo no* doubt that the Queen-Mother lias lost in popularity since her husband's death by her persistent efforts to keep in the limelight and to relegate Queen Mary to a minoi position; and the public also has been pleased with the .tact displayed by both the King and Queen In deferring to this weakness whenever it were possible to do so. Tims the Qticen-Mot.her <v is given first pl.ro in all the professions, altho:\?h by court etiquette she oup'it t> lave followed the eo isnrt of ti!io U'lgiiing monarch, and no obj;'. [v.;ii wa.s nuyje to her a;--know!-:Ving the salutes of tire po.:pie by .bowing repeatedly although that also wa.s out of place at i funcijil. _ Queen Mary vnnr.ci t-vl ■hnself with a seat in the socon-.l ci;niiigo., and was careful to sit u ?1 ba:-k out of sight. QT-KEX-MOTHEII TX BUCKIXQHAM. In the matter of Buckingham Palace, too, the King has been most considerate. Although, Marl■borough House is inconvenient far the despatch of State business, he has continued in residence there and has left Queen Alexajidira in undisturbed possession of the royal palace, where she played .hostess to the visiting royalties—a role th;v+ really belonged to her daughter iclaw.

On ono matter, however, \\ ins, George lias been adamant, ami that h with reference to the intoj'orence of .his motlier's sister, the Do-wager-Empress of liussia, in Ms affairs. The Dowager-Empress, k\ though younger than Queen Alexandra, exercises great influe.ioo over her, and it is known that slit and the lat-o King Edward vpv.-c anything but friends. In fact to marked was the late King's d'?!jjM to his sister-in-law that he al.vnyb left England when she was expevted to visit it. George 'has no more use for this aunt's managing w\<t than his father had. JFIBST CLASH WITH AUNT. Tire first clash between Qeorge and his aunt, I am informed by a court official, came wihen the King wished to consult his motheir about some detail of the funeral arrange, ments. TJie Dowager-Empress was present and took a - Jiand in the discussion, putting forward her own views of what should be done, and Queen Alexandra seemed disposed as usual to agree with her. Finally the King interposed. . l 'l skill be obliged if your Majesty will .retire," he said. "J wujh to talk to my motheir alcxae. • There was another display of the lungs determination to have liis own way on the train on which tho ■Royal party returned from Windsor after King Edward's funeral. A special car was set aside for the ladies of the .party and another for the men. King George noticed' that his uncles the Kings of Denmark and Greece, were massing from the men's ear, and made 'rquiries as to their whereabouts. Be was informed that tho Empress had asked them into "the women's car. King George p.t once followed and asked them to leave. They pleaded that Queen Alexandra wanted them there, but the King was obdurate. "I have made certain ai.fang*nients, and I will have them carried out," Jie said. Not a word relating to this incident 'has ibeen published here, but it was told to me 'by a member of the King's suite, who was in attendance on the train-.

.SETTING NEW COURT TiN ORDER. As was expected' King George has lost no time in setting Ms Court in order, and those who were imost in evidence dvuring King Edward's reign hare disappeared? The Jewish bankers, the Sassoons, whom King Edward delighted to honour,

are seen no moi'c. Sir Ernest C<usol, nlso a financier, of the same race, is no longer found a.t tiwt,nad the list of American uonen who entetatnined the late Iviag ia conspicuous by its absence. In their places the King has 'installed as his iin mediate oiroiiraae a list of men and women n , no bear historic names. At tiiio head/of it are the Duke and Dua'ir-Bs of Devonshire The Duke had always been a close friend of lung George, and the Duo'hess is to liold the highest office open to a woman in Queen Clary's Court, tttoa-t of Mistress of tlie Hobos, which during Queen Alexandra's reign as Consort was held by the Duchess of Buccleuch. Others of the Royal cntoulrage are the Earl and Countess of Shafte.sbury, Lord and Lady Beaucliamp, Lord and Lady Rmwitlow, Lord and Lady Powis, Lord and Lady Yarborough and TjOl'cl and Lady Mount-Stephen. POSITIVE IN POLTTTGB. In the domain of politics little is known yet about the course which, will be adopted by the new King, but those who ihave boon watciliin" him predict that it will be a numb more positive one than that taken by his father. Particularly _is he expected to take a strong line in the quarrel in the House of Lords and 'the Commons, if f tihat evei domes to a head. It was feared tlnat King Edward, in his desire to avoid friction, might have yielded to any demand of his Ministers, but those' Who know King George declare that he will not budge 'i'i inch nuvtil he is convinced that th<* opinion of the country really i\Jmands a c'hango. Tt is said that he is inclined, to b> , a Tory in politics, but if that is so he combines with ibis Conservation a real interest in social reform. Nc one lias followed the debates oai. nl-J age pensions, land taxation and otihov kindred subjects with clo'sor attention than tbo then Prince ,il Wales did from his place above the clock in the House of Commons, and no man in England has formed a keener judgment of tlio strength and weakness of the various Ministors and party leaders in that House.